(01 Sep 2026, 10:45 pm)Storx wrote I heard those Harrogate could only do 25 mile or so before or running out of battery. Absolute junk really, god knows why anyone sane would buy them. Just not realistic at all.

General comment: Modest battery ranges are not necessarily daft. They were/are designed for a different operating and recharging style, building in frequent (largely automatic?) quick top-ups at the terminal(s) of the route. That means the buses don't have to lug round the weight (and cost) of the large battery packs that are needed to give a day-long range. The smaller batteries are easier to fit into the vehicle, too. Obviously, the strategy relies on an integrated network of recharging facilities at bus stations etc, so it’s a lot less flexible. It also requires schedules to build in a little more layover time than we typically see in the UK, so there is some loss of network productivity. It can also mean the depots don't need such extensive recharging facilities. 

It's more like the concepts that are being developed for dual-mode trains (or trams) using batteries to span non-electrified sections, with the batteries recharged when the train is running "under the wires". And some people are talking about an essentially similar style for electrifying HGV operation, with electrified lanes on motorways supplemented by relatively modest battery-powered range for the "last few miles".
 
As it needs a fully integrated system of infrastructure, buses, technology and services, it is easy to see why the alternative strategy of "big battery pack and overnight depot recharging" is the normal way it is being done to date.